Saturday, October 27, 2012

Favorite Fall Pictures

When I was younger, I absolutely loved summer. It was my birth month, it was swim time, it was camp time and homework-free days! But, as I've gotten older, I look so forward to the cooler temperatures, the holidays approaching, and the fun photo opportunities that fall brings. I love the anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and winter family time, as well as the amazing scents, falling leaves, awesome food, and the crisp autumn air. (I also have a guilty pleasure of listening to Christmas music, so knowing those are right around the corner makes me a bit giddy - and Sam a bit annoyed!) But, anyway... so far we've kicked off fall with some fun. Lots of pumpkin pics ahead:

TX/OU Game - We totally bombed, but we still had fun with friends


Carved our pumpkin for Breast Cancer Awareness month

Getting ready to Race for the Cure with Grandma
Giggles with Uncle Brock
Saving Second Base . . . Again
Uncle Erick & Caden
Taking a stroller break with Uncle Brock
Another successful finish line!
Grandma & Mara after the Race
The ladies
Brycen & Mischelle
Cousins - ready for Truck Time!
More cousins - at Truck Time
Daddy's firm helped sponsor a truck at Truck Time. We went to see him!


Happy Boy - before he got sick the next day
Hug or torture?
Chillin' with Aunt Mischelle
Brycen & Aunt Kiki
Banner wants to play with the big boys
Staring at the camera - then he'd giggle when I'd show him the pic
Front porch pic
Our front porch

He was pointing at the school bus passing by
At the Arboretum

He was happiest roaming wherever he wanted
Why does he look like he's 15????

Just a little taste
Ok... one more taste....
And then... a little taste of corn
At the petting zoo
He kept yelling at the goat, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!!!"
Of course, Sam HAD to take B to the Texas exhibit
Little pioneer boy
Hanging out in an old-fashioned wood house
Looks like he owns the place
Oh, so gorgeous!
And this one melts my heart, too!
Party over here!
I told him to sit near the pumpkin... he tried to sit ON the pumpkin

Family pic
My two little "KnuckleHead Pumpkins!" I may have forced Sam to sit next to that sign.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Two Weeks of Meals

My friend has an amazing blog where she has posted a couple times about what her family's weekly meal plans look like. I was inspired by her idea to keep track of (and share) what she's cooking - along with discussions with other toddler moms who never know what to feed their young kids - so I decided to start posting what we're eating around here. Keeping a toddler well fed with a well-balanced menu is a challenge when I never know what he'll tolerate from day to day. (Some days Banner will eat anything and everything; other days most of what I make/cook/buy ends up on the floor.) Sam and I try very hard to a) provide a variety of foods for Banner and for us and b) eat dinner together so that we are all pretty much eating the same thing. Between creating a "House Menu" with our family favorites, searching "toddler meals" on Pinterest, and chatting with other moms about what they feed their families, creating dinner menus (and lunch, too) has become a bit easier - but it's still a chore. Sam and I have decided to start sitting down each week to examine our schedules for the week and make weekly meal plans around those schedules. Then, I'm better able to hit the aisles at the grocery store with a plan in place - AND it helps take my mind off of FOOD all the damn time! (I sometimes feel like my whole day revolves around feeding my kiddo - from breakfast to snack to lunch to snack to dinner!)

So, without further delay, I present the dinners we've had for the past two weeks. . . oh, and each meal ends with a "dessert" of some kind of fruit that Banner devours (peaches, strawberries, pear, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, cherries, grapes, blueberries, you name it - the boy loves fruit!):

Week 1:
  • Crock-pot Taco Soup
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Lasagna & green beans
  • Crock-pot Chicken & Stuffing
  • Freebirds!
  • Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf and oven-baked veggies
  • Burgers and sweet potato fries

Week 2:
  • Crock-pot carrots, baked potatoes, & steak
  • Left-over lasagna (which I froze from last week) and oven-baked zucchini
  • Teriyaki chicken & broccoli rice casserole
  • Angel hair pasta with meatballs & oven-baked veggies
  • Pizza night with friends (and Banner also had a carrot/apple puree)
  • Chicken Enchiladas and zucchini muffins
  • Chinese take-out with Grandma & Papa
 More meals coming soon!